Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2015 11:34:52 +0000
From: David Lee
Subject: Family Matters, Chapter 10
Family Matters, Chapter 10
"Mom, we're home," Austin called as the boys entered the apartment.
"Did you put the car in the garage? Channel 4 is predicting nasty
weather."
"Yup."
"Did you stop for the groceries I ask you to get? We may need those extra
supplies."
"Yup."
"As the son of a language arts teacher do you know any other affirmative
response?"
"Yup, but you'd probably faint if I said anything else."
"Yup," his mother giggled.
"Come on, let's go to my room and play a game before Mom gives me another
lesson on how to speak correctly."
"Not so fast," Jennifer called, coming out of her bedroom. "I want to see
the new, improved Rory first."
"Turn around slowly for her so she can see what a good job Patti did."
"You looked fine before, but now you're going to be fighting off the chicks
for sure," Jennifer commented.
"That wasn't my goal," Rory blushed. "I was planning to stay kinda
invisible. I'm not looking to hook up with any girls."
"Good luck with that!" Jennifer joked.
"Mom, leave the poor guy alone. Not everyone is used to being teased by a
parent who's also a teacher and should be prim and proper!"
"You wouldn't want me any other way," Jennifer smiled as she tousled her
son's hair.
"Jeez! Some parents..."
----------
"You don't know how lucky you are to have a mother like her," Rory said
pensively when they took a break from their game.
"I honestly do," Austin replied. "We've become really close since Dad's
been deployed in Afghanistan."
"My dad was killed over there," Rory bit his lower lip in an unsuccessful
attempt to control his tears.
"Damn! Sorry I brought it up," Austin said as he put his right arm around
Rory's shoulders. "I didn't know."
"I know you didn't. I don't mean to be so touchy; it's been over four
years."
"It's okay; we all have stuff that hurts."
Rory leaned into his new friend, enjoying the sense of caring that he felt.
Part of him was trying to be brave and the other part wanted to sob in his
friend's arms. The brave part won out after he swallowed a couple of
times.
When Austin grabbed a tissue to dry Rory's tears, his action nearly
triggered a fresh flow.
"It looks like we share some things besides being the same age and being
hot looking," Austin grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Can I ask...?
Oops, I'd better say `May I' or Mother will wash my mouth out with soap."
Austin snickered. "Anyway, may I ask why you changed schools? Did you get
into a fight? I noticed the bruise around you eye."
"It's not from a fight at school. Um, it was my stepfather. I have some
other bruises too," Rory pulled up his shirt to reveal his ribcage.
"Shit!" Austin swore. "I went and opened up my big mouth again. Next time
just tell me to shut the hell up! I'm sorry I pried into your business and
made you sad again."
"It's okay, really. I guess I should talk about it instead of keeping it
bottled up. I felt like you asked because you cared."
"I do care. I sense a kind of connection with you. I've never had a
life-long buddy, but I think you and I might get to be best friends."
"That would be fine with me!"
"So, do you want to enlighten me, or should we wait for another time?"
"I'd rather not think about it right now. I'm gonna have to know you
better before I share everything."
"That's wise. I told someone too much in confidence and almost paid for
it. I'm not like he was, but you shouldn't take my word for it. Always be
careful."
"I can't imagine you'd have any deep, dark secrets that would get you into
trouble."
"I'm not a serial ax murderer, but `who knows what evil lurks in the hearts
of men?'" Austin smiled.
"The Shadow knows!" Rory giggled.
"How did you know that line?"
"Dad used to say that," Rory said. "I'd forgotten about it."
"There I go messing up again," Austin shook his head.
"No, that's a good memory. It makes him alive again in my mind. I need
more of those."
Instead of getting into another video game, the boys spent the next half
hour telling stories about their fathers. The time brought smiles to both
of their faces and caused them to bond a little more.
Although they were getting hungry smelling the pleasant aroma drifting from
the kitchen, the boys were almost sorry to stop their conversation in order
to eat.
----------
Their talk over dinner was pleasant, but not deep. As a high school
teacher who loved working with adolescents, Jennifer had no trouble
conversing with them. She drew Rory out of his shell as easily as Landon
had done. Rory got the feeling that he could probably tell her his darkest
secret without fearing that she'd repeat it to anyone.
The teenagers watched part of 20/20 with her in the living room. One of
the stories involved a young boy who wasn't adequately dressed for winter
and sat shivering on a bench at a bus stop. The kid was an actor who had
on warm long underwear, so he wasn't really suffering, and there was a
hidden camera to record how people responded. It was heartwarming to see
the number of people who stopped at various times to help him, giving him
their gloves and scarves; in some cases their coats.
It warmed Jennifer's heart to see the reactions of the two teens. She
could tell that Rory was as compassionate as she knew Austin to be. It
gave her hope for the future of civilization and for how things could pan
out for Austin if he developed a crush on this new boy. She suspected it
was more "how big the crush would be" than "if" he developed one.
----------
By 9:30, light rain had begun. An hour later, there was a little sleet
mixed in. It looked like the local meteorologists might not be crying wolf
this time.
"If this continues, you might have to put up with me for another night,"
Rory said peering out of Austin's bedroom window.
"Hey, that could be a plus. We could have a PlayStation tournament!"
"Are you sure your mom would be okay with having me stay?"
"Sure, she agrees to about anything I want because I'm responsible and get
my work done. Actually, she treats me pretty much like an adult most of
the time."
"That's cool. Landon and Michael are doing the same with me so far."
Austin eventually said he thought he'd get ready for bed. He stripped
nonchalantly without overtly showing off, but without being particularly
modest either. He replaced his Superman briefs with a clean pair of Bat
Man boxers for sleeping in. Rory changed to boxers too, but did it faster
because his dick was beginning to betray his thoughts.
Austin climbed into his twin bed and Rory got into the other one. Then
Austin turned out the light on the table between them. The boys talked a
bit more in the darkened room before falling asleep.
----------
Sometime in the wee hours of the night, they were awakened by thunder and
lightning. Austin got out of bed and pulled up the blind enough to check
on the weather. By the light of intermittent flashes, he could see that
everything was encased in a sheet of ice which seemed to grow as he
watched. It reminded him of the big storm about seven months before.
He noticed two other things that were like déjà vu; there were no
street lights on and his room was chilly. Rory, who was hesitant to leave
the warmth of his nest, asked what it was like out.
"It looks like the inside of an old fashioned freezer that hasn't been
defrosted in a couple of years, and the power's off."
"You'd better get back to bed before you turn into an icicle."
"Yeah, it's gonna take awhile for me to warm up. Are you getting cold
too?"
"A little."
"Maybe I should grab the comforter off my bed and put it on yours and climb
in with you."
"That's a good idea, unless it will creep you out being that close to
another guy."
"It won't. What I said the other day wasn't how I meant it. I don't have
anything against gay people."
"Are you saying I'm gay?"
"No, I'm not. It seems like I say everything wrong when I'm around you.
I'm sorry," Austin mumbled as he climbed back into his own bed.
"Hey, I thought you were sharing your comforter and you body-heat with me,"
Rory complained, hoping he hadn't offended Austin and that they could still
keep warm together.
"Here, I'll go see if I can find a sleeping bag." Austin said as he tossed
the quilt on Rory's bed.
"Get in here with me!" Rory insisted. "I didn't mean it the way it came
out. I guess I get tongue-tied around you too."
"Okay," Austin relented quickly.
For a few minutes, the boys clung to the opposite sides of the narrow bed,
but as they relaxed, their bodies came in contact. Rory's body wanted to
melt into Austin's, but he couldn't take the chance of outing himself in
case Austin really was homophobic. It didn't seem possible, but he knew
about people who blackmailed others after worming personal particulars out
of them.
Austin lay there indecisive about what his next move should be. He wanted
to come clean with Rory about his orientation and let the chips fall where
they might, but he wanted to remain friends for sure. What if Rory would
get him to open up and then use the information against him?
A flash of lightning illuminated Rory's face, allowing Austin to see his
tears.
"Are you crying?"
"No," Rory sniffled, unconvincingly.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"I don't think so; I don't want you to hate me."
Austin lay quietly for a couple of moments before making his decision to go
for it. "I promise not to hate you even if you're not gay."
"But when I mentioned about Landon and Michael being boyfriends... Say
that again."
"I said, I promise not to hate you even if you're not gay – like me –
like I am."
Rory broke into a fit of giggles in relief, but soon realized that Austin
had misinterpreted his reaction.
"I shouldn't have told you!" Austin began to cry. "Now you'll turn against
me too!"
"No I won't," Rory protested, putting his arm around Austin. "I was
laughing because in the midst of coming out to me, you corrected your
grammar. You have to admit that's pretty funny. And I have to admit that
you're not the only gay boy in this town, or this bed, for that matter."
"Honest?"
"Honestly," Rory corrected, snickering.
"Shut up!" Austin giggled. "Please turn on your side so I can cuddle up to
your back."
"With pleasure!"
Austin wrapped his top arm around Rory's waist and Rory held his hand. He
shed a few more tears, but this time for joy.
Both boys felt a great sense of relief and optimism. Suddenly, as the
tension from the last few minutes of conversation drained from their
bodies, they felt very tired. In a matter of minutes, they were fast
asleep again, oblivious to the storm which still raged outside.
----------
Dressed in her long underwear and a heavy terry robe, Jennifer opened the
door a crack to check on her son and his guest. She smiled wistfully at
the tufts of blond and dark brown hair barely visible as they stuck out
from the pile of bedcovers. Snuggling together was certainly a practical
solution to the lack of heat, but she hoped there wouldn't be any
repercussions from it.
She went to the kitchen feeling thankful that she had a gas range so she
could cook something hot for breakfast. She could also light the oven for
a while to take off the chill, though she was aware that it wasn't a
long-term solution, due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Digging through the cupboard, Jennifer located the old aluminum percolator
she and Ron had used for camping. She would have sent it to the Goodwill
long ago, save for its usefulness in emergencies and its sentimental value.
As she filled it with water, she smiled at the memory of their awesome,
romantic canoe trip which predated Austin's birthday by exactly nine
months.
----------
The aroma of brewing coffee brought Rory out of a pleasant dream in which
he was camping along a river with Austin and they were naked in a sleeping
bag. When he opened his eyes, he saw how close to reality at least a part
of it had been. They were naked from the waist up and skin to skin.
"Good morning, cutie," Austin grinned.
"Good morning," Rory responded. "You were in my dreams."
"I hope they were good then."
"Yes, or should I say, `yup' they were?"
"Yup you should!" Austin agreed. "I'm gonna dig out sweatpants and
sweatshirts for both of us so we can go see what Mom's doing about
breakfast."
"Cool. That's something else I need to buy."
"You can keep these if you want. I have another pair just like them that
my grandmother sent from California last Christmas."
"I can't take your stuff."
"Why not? I want you to have them. Maybe you could think of me when you
wear them."
"I can think of you without wearing anything!" Rory exclaimed before
realizing the double entendre he'd made.
"That sounds kinky," Austin giggled as Rory blushed.
A light tapping on the door brought them back to reality abruptly.
"Breakfast is ready. Are you boys dressed?"
"Yup!" they answered in chorus and broke into a fit of giggles again.
"I fear my son is teaching you bad habits," Jennifer smiled as she came
into the room. "Oh good, you're both warmly dressed. I'm not sure what
we'll do if the power doesn't come back on. Did you stay warm in bed?"
"Mom, you know very well we spent part of the night snuggled together,"
Austin smirked. "I heard you open the door to check on us around 5:00."
"Um, I offered to share my bed if he'd put his bedding on top," Rory stated
nervously.
"Don't panic, Rory. You don't have to cover for me; Mom knows I'm gay.
And, no Mom, I didn't hit on him!"
This time it was both Rory and Jennifer who turned red.
"I didn't assume...," she began, but stopped.
"Mrs. Banks, Austin and I came out to each other after the storm woke us
up, but I want you to know that we aren't rushing into anything."
"Okay, that's good to know; I mean I'm glad you are on the same wavelength
and it's not a one-sided affair. I'm not saying this well... Does your
family know?"
"Yup," Rory grinned. "That's why my mother and stepfather threw me out and
why I'm living with Landon and Michael. Grandma couldn't keep me in the
senior housing place and they were kind enough to give me a place to stay.
Actually, it's a home that they've given me. I haven't felt so loved since
my father died," he bit his lower lip as his mood changed.
"Well, you have a surrogate mother if you want one," Jennifer stood and put
her hands on his shoulders.
"Thanks," was all he could get out without crying.
"Speaking of family, you should call Landon or your grandmother to let them
know you're okay. You can use my cell or Austin's because our cordless one
won't work without electricity."
"I'll go get mine," Austin jumped up.
A few seconds later, he returned to the kitchen.
"There's a message on here from Landon." Austin informed Rory as he handed
him the phone.
"Rory read it hastily and pushed the button to return the call.
"Hi."
"Are you okay? Do you have power?" Landon asked.
"We're okay, but no juice."
"Please invite your friends to come over to our house. We have a generator
we purchased after last year's bad ice storm. Michael can come over in the
SUV to get you all. It's all-wheel drive, you know. Maybe I'd better talk
to the lady of the house first to see if she's fine with that."
"Okay, but is Grandma okay?"
"We had her come over last night to stay when we heard how bad it was
likely to get."
"Cool! How about Aunt Mildred and Charlie?"
"They're with her nephew and he has a generator too."
"Good, then everyone in my family is safe."
Rory handed the cell to Jennifer and the boys listened to her side of the
conversation.
"That's very thoughtful. Yes, I would appreciate it. I'll get the cooler
and clean out the perishables from the fridge to use for lunch. Excellent!
Thanks again. Bye."
"We're going to be your houseguests until the electricity is restored!
Your surrogate dads are great people!"
"They're the best! But you'd better call them my older brothers because
they're still in their 20's."
After finishing their breakfast, the boys quickly brushed their teeth and
Austin and his mom packed overnight bags. By the time the boys were ready,
and Jennifer had filled the cooler, they heard Michael tapping on the front
door.
----------
"Hi, I'm Michael," he said to Jennifer as he helped her navigate the slick
walk from the doorstep to his waiting vehicle. The boys walked around them
on the lawn toting their bags over their shoulders and carrying and the
cooler between them. Then they scrambled into the middle row of seats.
"This is very kind of Landon and you," she responded. "It's above and
beyond the call of duty."
"We try to be neighborly," Michael smiled. "Any friends of Rory's are
always welcome at our place."
"Wow, it's nice and warm in here," Jennifer observed, enjoying the heated
leather seat. "I think I was chilled to the bone."
Michael drove very carefully, so it took them twice as long as it normally
would to make the trip of a few miles. He had to detour around one street
which he said was impassable due to the fallen trees that were spread all
over it.
Starting or stopping on the slick surfaces was tricky, but since almost no
one else was out, there was little danger of being involved in an accident.
At last the garage was in sight. Michael pushed the button to open it long
before making the run up the driveway. Soon, they were safe and sound away
from the elements.
----------
The first thing to hit them as they walked into the kitchen was the faint
aroma of wood burning in the fireplace downstairs. It made for a cheery,
almost festive, atmosphere.
"I would have baked, but we can't use the electric oven or we'll overload
the poor generator," Marian apologized on meeting Jennifer, "We have to
settle for cinnamon rolls that I thawed out in the microwave. We can make
coffee or hot chocolate in the Keurig, however."
"Simply being in a cozy home is plenty, but I could use a good cup of
coffee!" Jennifer exclaimed.
"Please check out the assortment and make yourself some. The mugs are in
the cupboard above the machine. Just make sure you don't brew it until the
microwave has finished. Heaven knows we can't jeopardize the generator
because the furnace won't run without electricity for the controls."
The condo wasn't really set up for having so many extra overnight visitors
since the former guest room had been converted into a nursery, but no one
would suffer. Jennifer and Marian would be sleeping in the family room on
the trundle beds that Landon had brought from the townhouse after it sold.
At least the ladies wouldn't have to sleep in the same bed, and would be
relatively comfortable.
Austin would have to share Rory's queen sized bed, which neither boy
considered a hardship, especially since they knew what they had in common
and had enjoyed snuggling the night before.
Lunch consisted of Michael's home-made soup reheated in the microwave,
along with sandwiches made from the cold cuts and cheese Jennifer had
brought from her refrigerator. Everyone had plenty to eat and enjoyed the
time together around the table.
The longer Jennifer sat there, the more impressed she was of this "family"
made up of people who weren't, for the most part, blood relatives. There
was a young widower with a child, his boyfriend who was divorced, an older
lady who watched over them, and her grandson who had been cast out by his
own mother. They all seemed to blend so well that it amazed her. Her son
couldn't have found a better bunch to associate with if he'd tried.
----------
After lunch, Rory took Austin down to his room. They sat propped up on the
bed, playing games on Rory's laptop. It didn't matter who won; they smiled
at each other all the time.
Eventually, the sleep they'd lost in the night caught up with them and they
crawled under the bedspread to take a nap.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Author's notes:
thanks to all who emailed since last posting: Wayne, Ott H, Dick M, Paul F,
Bill T, J-P C, Trish R, Tony W, Jim L, Geoff F, Dave F, Bill K, Scott H, Bob E,
Bill B, Swiss Nick, Patrick F, Denise B, Ken C, Jim W, Zero, Tom A, Mendy D, and
Rob M.
Here are a couple of links to articles you might enjoy looking at.
https://www.yahoo.com/health/senior-airman-logan-ireland-is-one-of-over-15-000-120775992272.html
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/north-korean-defector-opens-up-about-long-held-secret-his-homosexuality/ar-BBkIyMJ?ocid=mailsignout